How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
At a desk on a desktop computer. Notes, outlines, references and calendars pinned to my bulletin board and strewn all over my desk.
How much sleep do you need to be your best?
Between 9 and 10 hours is ideal.
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?
My first English teacher, Mrs. Rose Mahern, for seeing potential and pushing me to write more succinctly. I always hear her voice in my head when I'm slogging through an edit. My husband, Alex, for encouraging me to go ahead and do it anyway. For reading all the first drafts, proofreading everything, and being my own personal techie. I'd like to thank Anna Maxted for being the absolute best editor ever. So patient, so thorough. She's the cat's meow!
Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?
People getting something out of reading my books, aside from just entertainment. Success looks different for each individual, I'd imagine. I always tell people not to measure their success with someone else's yardstick.
Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
My novel is about a girl and her friends growing up in smalltown, Midwestern USA in the mid 1980's. Kiera Graves withstands horrific abuse from her family, bullying from teachers and peers all the while trying to sort out who she is, what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and figure it all out without the benefit of a supportive family. Her friends are a huge part of her world, and the rest of the time she lives in her daydreams so she can block out the nightmares. Help arrives from unlikely sources, and she is pleasantly surprised by the kindness of complete strangers. She and her friends discover that the more they explore Chicago and get farther from the ignorance of the cowtown they live in, the better things seem to get. I wrote it to tell a story that is actually fairly common, but rarely heard and/or believed.
If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?
Hmmm. Let's see. I would ask Anna Maxted, Michelle Obama, George Carlin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Toulouse Lautrec, Siouxsie, Sinead O' Connor, John Lydon, Ann Richards, my friend Andy, my friend Bryan, my Grandpa, Pappy (other grandfather), my friend Donita, my friend Lisa, and my husband.
Hmmm. Let's see. I would ask Anna Maxted, Michelle Obama, George Carlin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Toulouse Lautrec, Siouxsie, Sinead O' Connor, John Lydon, Ann Richards, my friend Andy, my friend Bryan, my Grandpa, Pappy (other grandfather), my friend Donita, my friend Lisa, and my husband.
When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?
Doing yoga, reading or watching TV. I love Face Off on SyFy and “The Big Bang Theory”!
Do you have any tips on how writers can relax?
Do yoga. It's my answer for everything, but that's because it works so incredibly well for so many things.
Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?
I rarely have lots of time all in one chunk to sit down and write. I tend to scribble bits and ideas in a notebook or whatever is handy. I have a bulletin board and pushpins for relevant notes or sketches to be tacked on. I make outlines and use calendars to try and avoid gaffes.
Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it. What keeps you going?
My brain gets full of ideas and information. I don't really have a choice.
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?
I hope my writing inspires people to be who they are, be genuine and never, ever, ever give up what is really important to them. I hope they feel empowered, less misunderstood, and less alone or alienated.
Fasten your seatbelts for a white-knuckled ride on the looney wagon and trip down memory lane with a band of misfit teenagers. Kiera Graves and her small posse of true blue friends plot ways to escape their cowtown; and play a game of keep away with her Machiavellian family to help her survive high school and make it to college.
Courage under fire, the closest bonds of friendship and blossoming romance keep this tale of coming of age and survival buzzing with excitement, heart, and warmth.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - General Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Kate LeDonne on Twitter
Website http://kateledonne.com/
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